Written Answers Thursday 14 July 2005

Scottish Executive

Aberdeen Meteorological Office

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government on the proposal to close the Met Office in Aberdeen.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

Child Protection

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any legal or auditing restrictions which would prevent a local authority from making compensation payments to a survivor of child sex abuse suffered while in the care of that authority.

Robert Brown: Each case has to be considered on its own facts and circumstances. It is for local authorities to take legal and other advice in light of the particular circumstances.

Construction Industry

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on working with the construction industry and trades unions to promote the full range of opportunities within the industry.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive works closely with construction industry stakeholders, including trades unions. The Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) is a member of the Scottish Construction Forum and is fully engaged in its work programme, including workforce development issues. Scottish Enterprise Glasgow also meets regularly with UCATT as part of the Construction Glasgow steering group.

  UCATT and TGWU are also represented on the Scottish Advisory Committee of the sector skills council for construction (CITB/ConstructionSkills), providing a formal interface between the construction industry, unions and CITB/CS thus allowing consideration of local training needs and priorities.

European Funding

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much European funding was received by the South of Scotland region in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency and funding source, and how much European funding will be available in each year to 2006.

Allan Wilson: The information requested is attached in the following tables. Where figures are not collated at parliamentary constituency level they have been provided at the next appropriate level available.

  (a) European Structural Funds (ESF)

  Figures for European Structural Funds are provided for the current Programme period 2000-06 and are given in committed spend terms.

  European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

  

South of Scotland European Partnership Area (the combined Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway Council areas)


2001
14,680,083


2002
6,855,365


2003
9,869,254


2004
5,677,329


2005-06
Applications not fully approved or received yet


Total
37,082,031



  The value of the South of Scotland Objective 2 Programme from 2000-06 is approximately £50 million at current exchange rate.

  European Social Fund (ESF)

  

ESF Awarded in Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway 2000 to June 2005 from the Objective 3 Programme


Round 1 Years 2000 - 2001
£1,001,572


Round 2 Year 2002
£2,166,581


Round 3 Year 2003
£1,467,377


Round 4 Year 2004
£3,352,408


Round 5 Year 2005
£2,366,340


Total ESF Awarded 2000 to June 2005
£10,354,278



  The amount of ESF which will be allocated for 2005 and 2006 will depend on the applications received, those which are recommended for funding, and the amount of funding available for allocation. The total funds remaining in the Objective 3 Programme to be allocated is currently £59 million, and the current value of applications pending is £74 million.

  LEADER+ (SCOTLAND) European Community Initiative

  

Dumfries and Galloway


2002
£570,000


2003
£310,000


2004
£310,000


2005
£398,499


2006
£398,500


Total
£1,986,999



  

Scottish Borders


2002
£610,000


2003
£330,000


2004
£340,000


2005
£452,625


2006
£452,625


Total
£2,185,250



  There are two Leader+ groups in the South of Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders. There is no further breakdown available as the allocations are for the whole Leader+ area.

  (b) Agriculture

  Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

  

Agricultural Region
2003
2004


Borders
55,371,000
55,452,000


Dumfries and Galloway
62,052,000
68,626,000



  Source: CAP Annual Report.

  The figures relate to CAP subsidies paid out in scheme years 2003 and 2004 for the two Agricultural Regions in the South of Scotland. Geographic distribution tables were only introduced for the 2003 CAP annual report.

Languages

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make use of the new EU linguistic regime, agreed at the General Affairs Council meeting of 13 June 2005, in respect of languages that fall outwith the scope of Council Regulation 1/1958 but have recognition within the constitutional order of a member state, with particular regard to (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that the government utilises the new EU linguistic regime, agreed at the General Affairs Council meeting of 13 June 2005, in respect of languages that fall outwith the scope of Council Regulation 1/1958 but have recognition within the constitutional order of a member state, with particular regard to (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has no plans to establish official translation facilities between English and Scots for the purpose of communicating with EU institutions.

  In relation to Gaelic I refer the member to the question S2W-17412 answered on 29 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Research

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the development of the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for infrastructure improvements at the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.

Rhona Brankin: Plans for the development of the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes, including infrastructure improvements, are a matter primarily for the institutes themselves. However, the Scottish Executive will consider institutes’ development proposals that are consistent with meeting its research needs.

Schools

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary buildings there have been on school premises in each local authority area in (a) 1999, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005, broken down into (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) special schools.

Robert Brown: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Schools

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent the closure of rural primary schools in Caithness.

Robert Brown: I am advised by The Highland Council that they have no proposals for the closure of primary schools in Caithness.

School Leavers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or other related information it has issued to local authorities to monitor the career or other intentions of school leavers who opt to leave school before the age of 16.

Robert Brown: No guidance has been issued to local authorities on this issue. However, Careers Scotland provide data to the Scottish Executive and local authorities on the destinations of school leavers, which is then made available to local authorities by year group.